Windows Firewall Error 13

Hello everyone, I am new here and I need some help. I am using Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit for quite some time, and I think I had firewall disabled for some time, but at some point I noticed that windows was blocking all incoming connections so I read somewhere that even though it's disabled it can block connections. So anyway I tried to re-enable my firewall service but it won't start! It gives me an error code 13. I tried a lot of things including Re-install windows (Upgrade, i kept my files), running "sfc /scannow" in cmd, download some registry files I found in microsoft's forum, settings permissions in regedit, but nothing works! It's really annoying, I need to host a game server but with this problem no one can join. Here is a the log from Event Viewer:

You do realize that using a Windows system connected to the Internet without a firewall is basically an invitation for hackers? Why in the world did you disable it????

If this system is connected to the Internet, I believe it may have already been compromised.

Without a backdoor I really doubt they will get access to my system. Anyway. what can I do to get it enabled? I checked with my mother's laptop which uses the same windows system, I copied the registry data from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\servic es\SharedAccess including the firewall policy etc, but still same error. I also compared the two files in C:\Windows\system32\svchost.exe, both are identical. This thing is pissing me off.

Have you checked in services.msc to see if you can manually start the Windows Firewall service by clicking on it then on Start/Restart in the upper left pane ?

Right clicking on the Windows Firewall service and selecting Properties/Dependencies will show that it is dependent upon RPC, BFE and Windows Firewall Authorization Driver being started.

You can check the status of RPC and BFE in Services.msc but the Authorization Driver is found in Device Manager/View/Show hidden devices/Non Plug and Play Drivers and may have a yellow alert against it.

Opening a command prompt as an admin and running the cmd sfc /scannow may fix that.

A disabled Windows Firewall could also be a symptom of an infection and downloading/running the free version of MBAM in Safe Mode with Networking should pick up any infection.

This problem is usually the result of an infection and if you opt to run Windows Repair I would strongly advise you to create a system image before running it...

Agreed; should go without saying.

Originally Posted by Sudo15

...If you have been able to successfully run an anti malware scanner then the following steps should get things back to normal...

Maybe you haven't tested Windows Repair. If you had you should be aware that one of the very early steps involves downloading/installing MBAM and running a scan for malware.

Following steps include running a chkdsk scan to check/fix filesystem errors, then an SFC scan to check/fix corrupted system files.

Then the user is prompted to create a backup of the Windows registry and a restore point.

Then the user is warned that active AV/AS resident programs could interfere with the following repair process, so should be temporarily disabled.

Only then does the program allow the user to launch the repair proceedures. In the case that a careless user skipped the previous steps and subsequently encountered problems, well as POM Henderson said: "there ain't no excuse for stupid".

Originally Posted by Sudo15

...HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\ser vices\BFE\Parameters[/B] (not sure why there is a gap in services)...

There should *not* be a space in services - maybe you accidentally pressed the space bar when copying the key? Note: I have checked on three of my Windows installations and there is no space in "services" in this registry key.

The "easy" one first - I've retyped services and it still comes out with the space in it - I'm sure I've seen this reproduced on another forum.

Regardless of the prerequisites of the program, anti malware scanners may already be installed and can/already been run before running diagnostics/fix.

I have run WR to see if it would pick up anything on my laptop and it took out, I think it was the Media Center or something and when I tried to use a restore point, it hung for ~1.75 hrs before I decided to hit the power switch.

I then had to use a Kaspersky Rescue Disk to eventually get back in and when I checked the Configure in System Protection, I found it set to 0 MB - so it may have been trying to restore from non existent restore points - it was previously set to 5%.

That is why I strongly advise to create a system image before running any program that will/can make changes to a system should something happen to System Protection.

You will see on the forum at www.tweaking.com where the WR auto restore points have also failed after running the program.

The auto chkdsk that it ran was that quick that it would have been impossible for it to have completed given the comparison when I've run a read-only.

While I agree the program has been successful - it ran without any adverse effects on another laptop - safeguards should be taken before running programs like these - although I don't class WR with the so-called tune up programs which should be left well alone.